Boxes or cartons



Jan. 10, 1956 D. LEVKOFF BOXES OR CARTONS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 6,1954 Jag/ d 312};

Jan. 10, 1956 D. LEVKOFF BOXES OR CARTONS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 6,1954 INVENTOR Dar/ml la nited States This invention relates-to boxes orcartons, :and-more particularly to the tray-like .type ofcarton that .isnow widely used for containing ,fruits, vegetables, candies, bakedproducts, and many other; articles.

In this type of tray, the end walls are usually maintained in an uprightorerechposition by means of a looking flap provided oneach end-:walhand.whichflap generally has its locked endfitted into engagement with aslit ,providedat the junction-of the end wallandthe bottom of thecarton. Thus, the erection of this type of tray requires the insertionof the above-mentioned lockinggfiap in the slit, and which, if notproperly done, results in collapse of the end wall 'of .the carton.Moreover, the erection of a box constructed as just described,is-timeconsuming; the slits formed in the carton often permit of leakageof the contents=of=the carton; the projection of the locking flapsthrough the slits to slightly extend below the bottom of the cartonoften interferes with the easy handling and transport of the carton on aconveyor belt, and various other objectionspresent'themselves when thetongue-and :slitconnection-are used for maintenance of the end wallsin-their required upright orerectposition.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a cartonor tray of the character describedin which the use of an interengagingtongue-an'd slot connection to lock the carton walls in 'their erectposition willbe dispensed with. It is an object of the invention toprovide a wall lock to maintain the walls of the carton in their erector upright position by a simple movement of the end walls to suchposition, and which movement will cause portions of the end walls toassume a downturned and locked posi tion which they will maintainindefinitely to hold the walls upright.

With these and other objects to be hereinafter set forth in view, I havedevised the arrangement of parts to be described and more particularlyset forth in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein an illustrative embodiment of theinvention is shown,

Fig. 1 is a face view of the blank from which the carton or tray isproduced;

Fig. 2 shows the blank in its folded and glued condition as it isdelivered to the consumer and in readiness for setting up or erection;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view through the erected carton;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view, taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig.3, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view in perspective, looking toward one end of theerected carton or tray;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a part of a modified form of carton in apartly-folded, flattened position;

Fig. 7 is a similar view showing the folded and glued carton, and

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view of one end of the carton of Figs. 6and 7 in its erected position.

Referring to the drawing, and more particularly to atent fiice consumer.The side walls 2,730,293 ?a.t ented Jan. .10, 1956 Fig. .1 thereof,wherein the blank from which the carton is produced is disclosed, 1indicates the bottom of the carton. Two edges of the bottom 1 aredefined by the longitudinal fold or score lines 2 and 3, beyond which.are located the side walls 4 and 5. The transverse score lines 6 arelocated at the opposite ends of thebottom l and beyond these fold lines6 are located the outer end walls shown at 7. Both ends of the cartonare similar in construction, and therefore a description of one of theseends willsufiice for both.

The outer end wall 7 isforrned with a transverse fold line 8 beyondwhich is located the outer lockingflap 9. Located between the end ofeach sidewall and the side edge of each outer end wall 7 is a web'10formed with a diagonal score line v12 meeting the inner terminationof a slit 11 that extends inwardly from the sidevedge of the web. Thewebs it when folded on the lines 12, produce an inner end wall. Theinner end wallrlocking flap is composed of the two tab portions 14,which are integral extensions of the webs 10 and which are folded on thescore lines 13. These two co-operating tab portions .14 may be of suchlateral extension that theycan overlap and'be adhesively securedtogether so that the inner locking flap will then be composed of thesetwo tab portions 14 united together. As shown, they are not connected toone another but-are connected together by the adhesion to them of aportion of the outer locking 'fiap in a manner to be described.

in Fig. 2, the blank is shown in its folded and glued condition and inthe form in which itis delivered 'to the 4 and Shave been folded inwardly on the score lines 2 and 3 so that they overlie the upper face ofthe bottom 1. The tap portions 14, which co-operate to form the innerlocking flap, have been folded inwardly on their fold lines 13 andoverliethe infolded side walls. The outer locking flaps 9have also beenfolded inwardly so that the end portions 29 of these flaps are broughtinto contact with the faces of the tabs 14 and to which these portions20 are adhesively attached. The inner surfaces'of the'areasili ofthe'locking "flaps-9 may be'adhesively-coated-as shown'at 15, to'therebyattach these portions 20 of the flaps 9, to the tabs 14. Thisarrangement joins or couples the locking flap 9 to the tabs 14, whichtabs constitute the inner locking flap.

When the carton or tray, in the condition shown in Fig. 2 is deliveredto the user or consumer, the setting up or erection of the carton ismerely a matter of raising the end walls 7 to an erect position, or thatshown in Fig. 4, by folding them upwardly on the score lines 6. When thetwo end walls are thus raised, the side walls 4 and 5 will be alsoraised through the arrangement of the corner webs, and which arrangementis known in this art. The inner locking flap, composed of the tabs 14,and the outer locking flap 9 attached to it by adhesive 15, will foldinwardly and downwardly Within the box, this action being automatic whenthe two end walls are raised to vertical position. Since the two coupledlocking flaps are pivoted at two spaced-apart points, namely at 8 and13, there is a locking action attained when the two flaps are pivotedinwardly and downwardly to the position shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. Theouter locking flap 9 acts similarly to a leaf spring to hold down andprevent rise of the inner locking fiap 14, 14, and the two flaps willremain securely downturned and locked holding the end wall in theerected position as shown clearly in Fig. 4.

As will be noted in Fig. 4, there is a tendency for the inner lockingflap 14, 14 to project out angularly from its pivotal point 8 and thushave its lower end extend out slightly from the end wall. This has beenfound desirable, since these flaps 14, 14 at both ends of the cartonapply a light and resilient pressure against the contents of the cartonand in the case of one or more undersized articles being contained inthe carton, looseness of fit of the contents will be taken up.

Since the erection or setting up of the carton merely requires themovement of the end walls to vertical position, it is apparent that asubstantial saving of time in erecting these cartons will be the result.Moreover, since there is no interengagement of the locking flaps withslots, the provision of apertures in the body of the carton isunnecessary and the prevention of leakage of the contents out of thecarton is attained.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 6 to 8 inclusive, thecarton shown is generally similar to that disclosed in Figs. 1 t0 5. Itwill be noted, however, that the end wall 30 and the locking flap 31formed thereon are not split in the manner described with respect to thefirst embodiment. The locking flap 31 is folded down on the fold line32.

The outer end wall shown at 33 is provided with the outer locking flap34 foldable downwardly on the score or foldline 35. The locking flap 34is adhesively attached, for a portion of its area, or the portiondesignated at 36, to the part of the inner face shown at 37 of the outerend wall 33. The portion 36 may be provided with an adhesive coating 36ato facilitate the securement together of these parts. This provides afree end portion 38 on the flap 34 that is disposed over the face of theinner locking flap 31, but no physically secured thereto. This free endportion 38 of the outer locking flap is springily or resiliently heldagainst the inner locking fiap 31 without being actually attached to it.

When the carton of this embodiment is erected, or is transformed fromthe flattened position of Fig. 7 to that of Fig. 8, and the two flaps 31and 34 are moved in a manner to direct them down into the carton, thelocking action of these flaps will then be similar to that of the firstembodiment except that the two flaps 31 and 34 are not secured together.

While I have herein described several embodiments of the invention, itis to be understood that such embodiments are illustrative, since thecarton may be made in many shapes or forms. Also, while I have suggestedthat the portions of the outer locking flaps 9 which overlie the tabs 14be adhesively attached to such tabs, or be ad hesively attached to partsof said outer flaps, it will be apparent that the parts mentioned may beconnected in some other manner, such as by stapling or other means.

These and other modifications are contemplated by the invention and arebelieved to be within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

What I claim is:

1. A carton of the character described provided with a bottom, sidewalls, outer end walls, webs between the ends of the side walls and theends of the outer end walls, said webs being foldable along diagonalscore lines to form inner end walls and parts overlying such walls, alocking flap at the upper end of each of the inner end walls, saidlocking flaps being each folded downwardly on a transverse fold linesubstantially in the plane of the upper edges of the side walls into thecarton to thereby extend over the parts of the folded webs, said lockingflaps being secured together in overlapped position, a flap extendingupwardly from the top of each of the outer end walls, said flaps beingeach folded downwardly on a transverse fold line in spaced relation andabove the last named fold line and having their end portions overlappingand adhesively attached to the locking flaps on the inner end walls, thewidth of the connected end flaps being substantially coextensive withthe width of the carton, said outer end wall flap coacting with saidlocking flaps to cause them to remain downfolded and to do so solely bythe erecting movement of the end walls of the carton.

2. A carton as in claim 1, wherein the inner locking flaps terminateadjacent the bottom of the carton and the outer flaps terminating inspaced relation to the bottom of the carton.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,046,017 Reber Dec. 3, 1912 1,297,636 Bachmann Mar. 18, 1919 1,354,012Bachmann Sept. 28, 1920 2,177,856 Bennett Oct. 31, 1939 2,681,173 GuyerJune 15, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 901,178 France Oct. 30, 1944 468,707Canada Oct. 10, 1950

